Key ideas in linguistics

Aims

Aims

In this module, students will gain an overview of some key ideas in linguistic research from the 20th century and beyond.  

One aim is to expose students to a wider range of literature in Linguistics as a whole than they were exposed to in the core subjects studied in the Autumn term.

The module aims to demonstrate by appeal to the research studied how, by virtue of perspicuous presentation, good research can be made accessible to audiences with relatively non-specialised background.

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• understand the linguistic theories presented in the research papers studied;
• understand why they became important to the field;
• understand how different types of evidence can be used to support arguments for different theoretical postitions;
• evaluate competing interpretations of evidence and synthesise the ideas of others;
• develop a hypothesis from the predictions of a theory or model;
• demonstrate the ability to design a research project.

Programme

Programme

The module is taught in two four-week units.

The first unit will take place in the second half of the Spring term, and will involve a weekly two-hour seminar.  This unit will focus on the discussion of some key pieces of research in Linguistic Theory which have had particular influence in the field.

The second unit, in the first half of the Summer term, will centre around four one-hour practical sessions which will be of two different types.

One set of practicals will be aimed at students planning to undertake theoretical projects and the other will be aimed at students planning ot undertake empirical projects. 

Assessment

Assessment

Formative assessment

• abstracts

Summative assessment

• Two 450 word abstracts (20%)
• 1500 word project proposal / pilot  (80%)